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What's your secret to a great bed?

Many people I know are smitten with their beds, but I've never loved the beds I've had. My beds have just felt like places to sleep (and/or lie awake obsessing about something random:). So, I'd love to ask: What's the secret? Flannel sheets? Two pillows per person? Or something more abstract, like banning work from the bedroom or having a nightstand full of favorite books?

292 comments:

Great bed - not too hard,not too soft. Cosy in winter, sheets in summer. In a practically empty room, no TV, no shelves, no clothes. Just me, a radio, a cup of tea - and a Cherner chair as my bedside table.As you can see, I have a vivid internal life...

i love that our bedroom is an escape. you even have to take a rickety staircase that comes out of the wall to get to it! and the ceiling is low up there so it's like a loft. but we have an ocean view, a little lamp, and a very comfy bed. it makes you really want to sleep when you go up there because that's all you can do, really.(well, not all, haha!)

King size bed, restonic mattress, and latex pillows. Soft sheets, a thin blanket, and a hotel collection comforter (with a West Elm duvet, of course) make it a little piece of heaven. That and the puppy that sleeps alongside us!

Ours isn't that comfortable either :/ it's too small for the two of us (it's a double). To make it a bit better though we have lots of pillows and each have our own blanket so we're not pulling the one back and forth all night. But definetly when we move into our new house this fall, a great bed is on our wishlist!

Oh, I'm in love with my bed! The mattress itself is nothing special, in fact, it's old and probably needs to be replaced. But my comforter is pretty and I love coming home to the bed made with the decorative pillows that match the comforter on top. I have four pillows all to myself, so I sort of nest when I'm sleeping. I have a functional nightstand (for my phone, glass of water, etc) and then a nightstand completely covered in books. I'm not sure any of this falls under the "practical tips" category, but I guess take the time to get items you love for your bedroom. The fact that it's usually a private room makes it that much better: you can pick things you love without worrying about what others would thing. The bedroom is just for you!

I still do not own my dream bed set...but as far as comfort goes, my husband got me into using a feathered duvet comforter and feathered pillows. It makes our bed so much more cozy,I can't believe I ever slept without them! I also don't sleep with a top sheet, I hate how it gets all tangled throughout the night!

We have tried MANY different mattress brands and still not found the perfect one. Right now we have a Beautyrest and after only one year we are both sleeping in the troughs that our bodies have created.

I have to have two pillows... one for my head and the other to slide behind my back as I sleep on my side.

My husband's favorite thing is no sheet or blanket since he's always hot. Sleeping as a married couple and both being comfortable is such an incredible task sometimes... *toddles off to guest bedroom*

Oh, and flannel sheets? No way. Both of us would be far too hot... must be 600-700 count cotton.

Luxury mattress covered in a fun, printed sheet set, with a billowy duvet and a mustard yellow four-poster bed (with a rustic bench at the end). Probably the reason my bedroom is one of my favorite places in the house.

Bed style and colours are personal (veryone has its own prefernce/taste) but my general suggestion is: keep the room as empty as possible and use light colours so you get a general "lightness feeling".In my bedroom I have the bed, the wardrobe (which is invisible because it's white and wall to wall), some nice crispy linen curtains at the big window and that's it.

Oh, definitely two pillows per person. If I wake up in the middle of the night it's great to be able to switch to the cool pillow on the bottom. Also, all-white linens make my bed feel very serene. Good luck with the makeover!

I ADORE my bed. As some have said, the mattress is nothing special. But I have a killer combination of an eggcrate ( ) topped by a foam topper ( ). It transforms the bed into something unbelievable! Not too squishy...just very cozy.

My other "secret" is making the bed with sheets that I love. They aren't anything special, but I tuck them in tightly, which is key for me. I then make the bed with a blanket, turn the comforter down at the bottom of the bed and then put European square pillows down, with my pillows on top. It's very basic, but getting into the bed in the evening after it's been made tightly in the morning--heaven!

I love my bed (really it is my favorite spot) because I work so hard (at work and at home) that by the time I drag myself to bed, I pass out! :-) I also insist on fresh sheets, a memory foam pillow, and a goose down duvet. When my husband and I find the money (ha!) we want to invest in a tempur-pedic mattress.

no TV and no work. our bedroom is for relaxing, talking, and... you know

also, higher threadcount sheets made a huge difference. I didn't think it would, but I was recently folding the sheets for our guest room and found myself grimacing at how rough they felt. soft sheets are bananas-good.

i am totally in support of not having a TV in the bedroom. Our bedroom isn't huge, but is has little nooks; some for reading, a small desk. Our bed has plenty of pillows and blankets, the softest sheets we can find, and always an extra throw on the end. Also, (and my mother would proud) we make the bed (beautifully) every day. Sometimes it's the only thing that looks good in our house!

Brunswick sheets. Fuzzy, wonderfully soft pseudo-flannel sheets from a tiny grocery store in a tiny town near my Oma's house in St John, New Brunswick. Reminds me of Easter vists to Grandfather & Oma's when I was a kid. :D

I too have a deep desire for my bed to be a "space" that I never want to leave (not that in my current life, I'll ever have time to linger in bed all day). I don't think I'll actually achieve that until we actually decorate our bedroom and choose a bedframe (which I envision having a very tall headboard, to add to the safe, coddled feeling.)For now, however, we've found at least a happy comfort leve with our Select Comfort Sleep Number! I was a skeptic at first, but fell in love as soon as I laid on it in the store. Other than that...lots of pillows, SOFT sheets, down duvet, top sheet--tucked in on my side, not on my husband's.

My husband and I just got married last July. We were sleeping on his full sized bed from single life. We are both not tiny people. Finally, around January we got a king sized Europa and it changed our lives. It's the most comfortable bed in the world. We each sleep on one pillow with another one vertically in between us to block his snores. Also, high thread-count sheets is what it's about.

we splurged on a cal king-sized bed w/ comfy pillow top when we first got married .. along w/ all white damask bedding & memory foam pillows. it feels like we're sleeping on clouds ... oh & no tv + no laptops! x

Feather bed. Use it to top off your current mattress, and it can turn ANY mattress into a blissful cloud to sleep on (and trust me, mine was BAD). They help with warmth in the winter, but don't overheat in the summer. I swear they are magical.

I have that Temper pedic but I don't see what all the fuss is about it! I will say, I LOVE this aroma therapy sleep spray I got from bath and body works i think?? It's lavender and something else and you spray it on your pillows before bed. It smells sooo good and calms you down before bed! -BOO

Queen size bed, low to the ground with satin sheets. Then a feminine duvet with ruffles, or something of the sorts. Anightstand filled with various un-talkable things. The only other thing allowed is books and dresser/armoire with clothes.

Comfortable pillows and a duvet comforter (like they do in most of the beds I slept in Europe) rather than a comforter/top sheet that's tucked in (which seems to be an American custom from what I can tell.) My husband likes to have his feet out when he sleeps, so he would just pull the top sheet out anyway, which makes me efforts to make the bed look nice futile. Somehow it makes sharing bed covers much more comfortable for both of us, and easier to maintain when we make the bed for the day.As for actual sleep, I need white noise in my bedroom - a fan or an open window so that the silence isn't oppressive.

The secret to loving my bed is because it comes with a great story... I randomly aquired an extra long (7 foot) bedframe on freecycle. I loved it instantly. My friend kept joking that I should go out with her tall colleague (6 ft 8), it became a big joke, we called him my boyfriend, he and I sent each other joke love notes. THEN a year later we met... long story short, we now live together and share our bed every night. We both love it so much. You can see a blurry pic of it here (should really do a proper post about the whole story)

I love my bed. . . and I think the most important part is the tactile aspect- fresh,soft sheets, a comfy quilt, natural light streaming into the bedroom, and most importantly, someone to snuggle with!

Instead of thinking about it as a place where you spend staying up obsessing over things, think about it as the place where you process the days events after a busy day. That is a great service your bed provides!

separate comforters! the bf and i joke that this is the most important investment we have made for our relationship... :) Having two twin size comforters rather than one double is great because it stops someone from hogging the covers, and also makes it easier to adjust the temperature to your personal preferences. I like a thick, snuggly comforter whereas the bf loves the super-thin summer comforter from ikea because he hates feeling too warm. so yeah, that's my tip! :) good luck!

I love love love my bed and bedtime so much!!! Here are a few very simple reasons why;

1) Down comforter, it is great in the winter for warmth and we leave it on in the summer but lay on top of it....heavenly!

2) My bedroom is very simple! No chair, minimal nightstands (just enough room for books and an alarm clock), not even many pictures on the wall. Just a bed, dresser, and dog beds (of course!). I keep it simple as a reminder that it is for sleeping, reading, and loving. It sounds simple, but without clutter it is easier to keep your thoughts and time uncluttered as well.

3) This may seem similar to #2 but I made the decision in grad school that only books for pleasure were allowed in the bedroom, no articles, no textbooks, nothing "required!" Actually I think that revelation is what made me start to love it so much and brought about all the aspects of #2.

Enjoy your new bedroom, I think it is the best room in the house by far!!

We were away last weekend and the bed/sheets/pillow/comforter were AMAZING! We were in Maine and I found out they source their bedding from a Maine company. I immediately ordered 2 pillows (which arrived today!). Check out Cuddledown in Maine. It's family owned and a green company.

a comfortable bed is all a bedroom needs to make it your favorite room!

The best bed is one that you can literally get lost in the softness of. I was once told that the things that you need to make sure you spare no expense on are linens and shoes. Luxurious fabrics, and A LOT of them, is what I say. And it's not just the bed but also the atmosphere of the room. Get light curtains so that the sun can shine through and keep the room airy and not too stuffed full of things. Hope that helps!

We have the BEST comforter, when you get in to bed, it feels like you're crawling in to a nest or something, it's so warm and cozy in there. Also we have a blanket at the base of the bed (except in the summer) and then my feet are extra toasty warm and it looks really nice when the bed is made. Plus two pillows per person, and of course, no tv in the bedroom. Hope that helps, I really recommend the blanket at the base of the bed! Ours is a wool blanket my brother brought us from Guatemala but anything would probably work, and I just fold it so it's about two feet wide and it lays across the bottom of the bed.

we just moved from a big bedroom into a tiny tiny one! but i still love it, because it's cozy & comfortable. my secrets to comfort are pillows... i have one firmer one & one gushier feather one because depending on the night i'll want firmer support or softer, and this way i can switch it up and always be comfortable. also i usually keep a fan running in the bedroom. it helps circulate the air and keep things cool, which makes for a better night's sleep, and the white noise of a fan masks the city noise of living in downtown toronto, so i never have to worry about waking up to the sound of an ambulance or early morning construction. also, really take some time to figure out what type of mattress you like best. essential!!

I have a pendant light that hangs over the bed. I bought a dimmer from ikea that plugs into an outlet, and the pendant lamp (or any lamp) plugs into it. The dimmer is a cord with a sliding switch so you can have bring mood lighting to the bedroom.

Back in college when I was really suffering from insomnia, a friend told me to keep all of my homework/work stuff off my bed . . . to work on my floor or at a desk. Leaving my bed just for reading for fun and sleeping really helped me make my bed a peaceful, restful place to be rather than a place where I stressed about papers and projects!

In terms of decorating I love crisp white cotton sheets (they look so clean and inviting!) the quilt I made while watching Wimbledon with my mama, and 4 very fluffy pillows. I think making your own quilts if you can, or buying a handmade one is great . . . they're not as hard to make as they seem if you do a simple patch quilt, and the effort you put into it really makes it something you love, appreciate, and enjoy being around.

This question could not come at a better time, because I need the same advice. I love everyone's advice.

I just moved into a new apartment with my boyfriend in California (I'm from GA) and we're trying to buy furniture and decorate the entire apartment in the week before I begin my new job. So far we have sofas (being delivered today thank God) and a big screen TV (my boyfriend's only priority haha).

We just bought a Sealy Posturpedic plush mattress set. It is so comfortable and I can't wait for them to deliver it tomorrow. It's not too soft (I sink into pillow tops until I feel like I've fallen into an infinite abyss) and not too firm either. I also really love Anthropologie's simple bedspreads, so I might look into getting one of those. Other than that, I'm lost!

What I struggle with is whether or not to buy furniture that all matches (Ikea matching furniture) or to mix and match. I wish I had the decorating instinct that others have.

Soft, clean sheets are an absolute MUST. I cannot bear to be in any bed with stiff sheets...YUCK. I think lighting is also important. With the exception of reading lamps...the lighting in the bedroom should be serene and soothing (Soft pink, low-watt lightbulbs are the BEST!) It doesn't come out as "pink" light... it just gives the room a warm almost glowing feel. It's really amazing how it transforms the room. (And it's very sexy!) XO

Living in an apartment with roommates has made my room into almost my own house (all my books, movies, computer, clothes, shoes, in my room) and that makes it very cluttered and distracting, not being able to spread my stuff around.

When I one day get my own apartment or home, the only things I plan on having in my room are my clothes and books! Television, computer....stay out!

Really, really really nice sheets! It's like discovering a good cheese once you try good mozzarella you can never go back to the cheap stuff. Calvin Klein has affordable really nice options, go to Century 21, they're always on sale there. Also L'Occitane Linen lavender pillow mist, I have it next to my bed and spritz my pillows before I go to sleep. Lavender has calming properties and helps with anxiety and nerves. I swear by this. I doze off now with just a drop of this.

It's all about the comfort and daydreamyness. I do a pillowtop mattress, big fluffy down duvet, soft sheets (I like modal cotton or silk) and a mixture of pillow textures...2 temperpedic, two feather, and two fat fluffy ones. I rock an all-white bed, which is ultra relaxing, and I can bleach it...I love the fresh linen + bleach smell so much my hospitality days. Now every night feels like I am sleeping in a luxurious hotel bed. :)

In the summer I like cotton sheets and one quilt... in the winter it's flannel sheets, a fleece blanket, a comforter and a quilt hehe I'm a quilt-maker, so there's no lack of quilts in our house. Sometimes we just stack on the quilts because the weight of all that bedding is strangely comforting. Oh, and we don't have a telly in the bedroom, so that helps!

1. White noise machine is a MUST, not possible to sleep without it. (use a baby monitor if you need to hear in another bedroom)

2. Memory foam, currently egg crate and memory foam on top, but just days away from a temperpedic .. my sister has one & divine.

3. No TV .. wave radio on 30 minutes sleep with classical music and then auto timer kicks off the white noise machine. (I'm asleep by then) .. if electricity goes off and white noise machine stops, I am awake instantly.

I love our bedroom. A few of our secrets - we completely splurged on a really nice mattress - the natural latex from Room & Board. Also - we have a double bed - some might think that small but I think it's romantic! We also have a really nice down comforter which is very cozy in the winter. I switch it up between our serene white and gray sheets and some bold colors and floral when I want a change. I always keep a few books on my night stand - so I know what book I have to look forward to next. Speaking of books - have you read Patti Smith's memoir - "Just Kids"? If not - I highly recommend it!

Crisp white sheets, good reading light, one bedside table per person, fluffy pillows (as many as whatever a person wants - I'm a one pillow type of girl), music player, NO TV, candles or scented something, giant painting/picture across from the bed

Really, really soft, 100% cotton, high thread count sheets. Only the bed and night stands in the room.Good reading lights, his and hers.A beautiful mural painted on the wall we face and the other walls mostly bare.You can see it here: http://littleanilia.blogspot.com/2008/05/sunday-at-work.htmland http://indelibleinkling.blogspot.com/search/label/painting(the first post on this link is the one we did in my son's room and the second is mine)

When my husband and I first got married (2 years ago) we were, as many recent grads are, poor. We saved up our dollars and bought a super nice king sized mattress, a bed frame we both adored to go with it, and amazing pillows. We still think it was one of the best decisions ever. When people come over to our house they get on our bed and die, it's that great. It's all about the mattress. Also our room has no TV and even though the bed is plenty big, we still find ourselves meeting in the middle to snuggle, read, and enjoy a glass of wine at night. It's perfection. Best money we've spent.

The three things that have made our tiny (48" wide!) boat bunk into the best-bed-ever are:1. Featherbed. Seriously, it's like sleeping on clouds. 2. King-size duvet. Enough covers for both of us and some to throw on the floor. Also helpful if one of you wants to sit up and read while the other sleeps late. 3. Anchor windlass. Because there's nothing more peaceful than going to bed in a quiet, empty cove. Sweet dreams!

when my husband and i first lived together, our bed was my old full-size mattress. Full size is perfect for 1 person, but NOT for two! we slept like crap for almost a year. Then we finally splurged and bought a wonderfully comfy king-sized mattress! Obviously my old bed frame wouldn't fit. So my clever and handy husband built a headboard. But not just any old headboard - one with a bookcase built into it! And THAT is why I love my bed. :) It holds our books and he built it. We are both book nerds, so it didn't take long to fill it up!

Love this question!!! I have strong opinions about the bed and I do so love ours.

1) No TV. Ever. No laptops. No iphones. Only books, sex, cuddling with kids, talking, music, and sleeping.

2) Sleep Number. Oh yes, we bit. It was our wedding present from my parents. I have a #20 setting whereas my husband is at 65. Huge difference (he's also 6'3" and I'm 5'0"). Really helped during my pregnancy, too.

3) Only useful pillows and 2 decorative pillows. no more. Just enough to make it pretty and easy to remake every morning.

4) Great comforter. Ours is some mid-range thing from bed, bath and beyond, and our duvet is Restoration Hardware. Our sheets are pretty standard, but definitely higher-end Target kind---softeness, threadcount matter. But most of all, it's a great color! White with silver sage trim. Bright in the mornings, soothing at night. Simple and uncluttered.

5) A spouse who cuddles. I definitely love our bed because even though it is a Cal King, we spend quite a bit of time in the middle or on each other's sides. With our Wisconsin weather, we have perfect excuses!!

A pillowtop mattress is key for me! I like to sink into my bed. I also love travel books on my nightstand (to encourage wanderlust dreams), an nice candle or "pillow spray" (my roomate in college had the lavender vanilla one from Bath and Body works; she would spray her bed to make it feel like home - a good travel tip too), and no tv. I'm also loving my new red and white striped duvet cover from Ikea.

Hi Joanna, I think that above all you need a great mattress. We purchased a natural latex mattress from LivingGreen in Los Angeles. It is made with natural rubber, organic cotton and pure wool. It's really wonderful because it doesn't move when someone rolls over or gets up(similar to Tempur pedic but doesn't off-gas like them!) It's mold and dust free, extremely durable, flexible and resilient. Oh and of course, comfortable! Can you tell I HIGHLY recommend them??!!!

I always make sure to keep an "emergency kit" by my bedside, which includes a book, a magazine, body lotion, lip balm, lavender-scented linen spray and a nail filer. I find that all of these help me to sleep better. Yes, even the nail filer! Because I can't go to sleep if I have a broken or jagged nail. And I can't fall asleep if my hands and feet aren't moisturized. Weird, but true (and effective)!

My boyfriend calls my bed "the cloud" because it's such a wonderful place :) I LOVE it in there. I have:

- a memory foam mattress topper- a king size mattress, so we have room to spread- super high thread count sheets- lots of different sizes/types of pillows- all white everything, and some lavender sachets for the dryer. Nothing is better at the end of the day than white white bedding that is soft and smells amazing.

But a warning: this bed will stare at you longingly and tempt you to get in frequently. Productivity may decrease dramatically.

back supporting mattress + husband that I love to sleep with (years before we were dating, we'd curl up together for naps; we've always slept well together, which is important because we both love to sleep!) + cat that curls up behind our knees or against my stomach and purrs us all to sleep. It's a hard combo to beat!

Currently, I'm cutting and saving scraps of our old clothes in rusty oranges and dusky violets. Some year in the future I plan to make us a postage-stamp-quilt coverlet or duvet cover that reminds us of the red rock country where we love to go mountain biking together. Then I think our bed will be even more special, with a quilt made from our clothes that reminds us of one of our favorite places.

oh, and for our wedding we FINALLY got a really nice duvet; have you ever tried a duvet stuffed with virgin wool? Even better than down, in my opinion. SO cozy - and much appreciated during this long winter and cold spring here in Seattle!

For good energy, make sure you don't store anything under your bed! Move the bed around until you find the right position - one will feel much safer and more right than the others. Keep your bed high enough from the floor so you can see out the windows. Percale sheets, a linen blanket, and here's the best secret... ironed pillowcases. Also, pick a bed you love - I sleep in my grandmother's girlhood bed. Sweet dreams!

I am now moving into "parasite mode", sucking up these great tips some of your other readers left you! {like Hilary and her "cloud" ... how amazing does THAT sound, I want a cloud now too! but alas, I know when I go home tonight, it will just be our boring old bed ... le sigh!}

Happy "perfect" bedroom inspiration/shopping! Can’t wait to see the transformation!

For me the magic combination is space, darkness, and temperature. And of course a good mattress.

Space meaning a king sized bed because my husband flails in his sleep like a fish out of water, darkness because light is more likely to wake me than sound (we have shutters, curtains, and the bedroom walls are painted really dark), and the temp needs to be cool because I don't do heat.

If those three are taken care of nothing else really bugs me. But I still sometimes lie awake worrying about something random, so I'm no help there =)

A memory foam topper! (Or a tempur pedic if you've got over a thousand bucks to spend.) Seriouslyyy, best sleep of my life. I've become such a bed diva since purchasing one, though. Now I can't sleep just anywhere! That's the only downside.

A king mattress with Hotel Collection Sheets! They are so soft and it feels so good to climb into bed with the soft sheets around you.

The mattress itself is also very important. I think ours is a Beautyrest Black Label or something. Having a pillowtop with memory foam is key. And you dont want a bed too soft, has to be the perfect balance between soft and firm.

Ok I'm also in the process of updating our bedroom so I'm gonna read all those comments super carefully :) thanks for blogging about it today...Oh and something you should check out because I remember you blogging about this 'go the f### to sleep' book : http://www.mommyshorts.com/2011/06/snakes-on-a-childrens-book.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MommyShorts+%28Mommy+Shorts%29

I love to have two looks for my bed--one for fall/winter and one for spring/summer. My winter look is a crisp white bed with great textured pillows and throws, and a cozy warm white down comforter on top. My summer look is very similar; same pillows and sheets, but a light printed quilt and a light layered comforter underneath. That way I can feel similar to how I feel when I unpack my summer clothes from a long winter of suitcase living: it's time for a seasonal change! I just love textured beds and looks that are versatile. It makes me feel happy. :)

It is all in the mattress!! Don't buy Tempur-pedic it does not have a great track record. Buy quality and double springs.. I promise you it will be your best investment. It might not look as attractive as a thin mattress... but WORTH IT!!

1) Down comforter. Year round. There's something amazing about cozying up under something substantial (that's what she said). I can't sleep well with just a quilt or fleece blanket -- they're too flimsy.2) Feng shui (and my mom) taught me never to hang anything over the bed, like a bookshelf or a big painting. What if it falls on you? And it's symbolic of all the 'to-do's you have hanging over you while you sleep.3) No TVs. No computers. No food. Ever. Anywhere in the bedroom.

I HIGHLY recommend finding any Hampton/Hilton hotel (or some of their offshoots) and renting a room for the night to try the bed. A lot of hotels sell the mattresses they use on their websites. I think it's better to have actually spent a whole night on a mattress before buying, rather than lying on one in the store for 2 minutes.

Pillows, pillows, and more pillows! I have the best sleep when I have my four pillows. One for under my head (an Ikea memory foam special neck pillow - divine!), my "hugger", for me to snuggle in my arms*, one for between my knees, and "the ramp" that is situated between me and my husband and whose sole purpose is to be a place for me to rest my forearm and hand when I roll over. Maybe I'm a diva, and my husband does say we have an opium bed (because he also has his own three pillows), but I have THE BEST sleeps!!

I also sewed our own pillowcases out of my very favorite fabrics - a very ginghams, a bird print, some polka dots - and I swear I sleep better with them too.

*When I was a new mom and was up breastfeeding at all hours of the night, I used to wake half up and think my "hugger" pillow was my son Finn. I'd smooch the pillow and then realize what I was doing. Several nights in a row!

Our mattress was pretty horrible for the first two yrs of marriage or so. Then we got a 4 inch memory foam topper (from Overstock.com!). It made a world of difference. I am both a side and stomach sleeper and I have to have a pillow under my midsection (lumbar support I guess?). Can't sleep without these. And I fall asleep in under ten minutes most nights :)

I like mine to feel like a nest! We have a fluffy mattress cover, lots of pillows, and big downy coverlets. All the linens are cream colored, which I find soothing. We also use a lavender linen spray. Adds to the cozy loveliness.

A pillow-top mattress pad and white cotton sheets! I have to have white sheets. I have some old Ralph Lauren sheets that have been washed so many times that they're super thin a soft like an old t-shirt. I was so sad when I gave up my queen for a king because they don't fit.

the right mattress, pillows and sheets are all essential, as is no TV, but the thing that has really improved my quality of sleep lately is that I finally got around to installing blackout shades to cut the light from the streetlight outside my house. I always have a fan going in my bedroom for white noise and a bit of a breeze.

I have a slight pillow obsession...seven pillows just for me! That's probably a little overboard, but they create a great nest at night. I also have a down comforter and a down pillowtop. Basically I sleep surrounded by feathers. I love flannel sheets for the winter - so toasty!

Yes, two pillows each so you can prop yourself up to read. A silk pillow case to protect your skin from pulling. A bedside table each with light good enough to read with, but also that is a nice soft light. Water on the beside table and kleenex. A chair to put clothes for the next day or toss my jeans on. A really rally pretty comforter - plain or patterned, whatever you like. A nice scent - maybe some lavender oil. BLACKOUT CURTAINS or pleated shades so you can sleep whenever you want. :)

We call our bed "The Finest Bed in all the Land". It's just an old Ikea pine bed frame, but a custom mattress with a memory foam topper – the entire thing has nothing precious or delicate – this bed is approved for a chase scene, a tickle or a jump fest. Queen sized because neither of us is a big person and we get lost in a King size bed. None, and I emphasize NONE of those nasty decorative pillows that have to be removed before you can go to bed. Simple pure cotton sheets, two pillows each (a soft & a firm), a lightweight duvet and a view out a window to sky and trees. .

My perfect bed isn't so much about the mattress but about the bedding on it. I switch between a huge fluffy white down comforter (it makes me feel like a princess) and a quilt thats been in my family over 100 years. It makes me feel connected to the past and my family as its made out of old clothes and curtains by my great great grandmother.

The most important thing I've noticed for our bedroom is having a bed that we want to get into. When the sheets are freshly cleaned/changed, and we are in love with the duvet cover/look of the bed it is a place we love to be in. So make it look appealing, not just put together.

i think it's more about who's in your bed than what kind of comforter or pillows you have. i love my bed because i know no matter what, when i get in it, my dog is right behind me and will cuddle with me all night long. i guess i also like it because my boyfriend sleeps there as well.. haha having my two favorite people (yes, my dog thinks she's a person) snuggled up to me all night makes my bed my favorite place in the world <3

Definitely a good mattress and good sheets. I got my Aireloom mattress at a warehouse sale for 1/10 of the price! I also have to have 800+ thread count on my sheets (from Tuesday Morning, so also discounted), but it is important to feel them in the package; don't just go by the number. Also, a softy blanket that you can use under the duvet in the winter. Errr...and yes, two pillows per person, even if you just use one. Sometimes you need to be proped up. :P

I know I'm in the minority here, but I love, LOVE TV in the bedroom. Can't live without it. Just for lazy weekend mornings, when you can linger in bed. Ahhhh...

I think its the creature comforts of the bed. I have a string of little lights that is scattered along the bed head. Its nice mood lighting and perfect for laying in bed and chatting/canoodling. A nice scattering of cushions and delicious books.. wah la! an uber comfortable environment with the bonus of a materess!

I'm positive the secret to life includes a comfy bed and a great shower! We bought a mattress (locally made and the mattress inventor is also the owner!) at Bay Bed & Mattress in Santa Cruz for my birthday almost 2 years ago (after sleeping in one of their beds at a bed & breakfast) and have been grateful for that purchase every single day!

Cool colors like green, blue, or lavender for the walls and bed-linens make the bedroom calm. I also avoid all working and reading in the bedroom so that it's just used for its intended purposes. Finally, since I have dust allergies, I make sure that the bedroom is really clean, and I move the whole bed every once in a while to get the floor spic and span; that helps me breathe easily at night. Good luck!

I like my bed to be comfortable in every way. A mattress that is comfy enough to bring you to tears + sheets that are smooth but not so expensive that I can't relax in it. I also have a rule about no big pictures or items with a lot of visual interest in the bedroom. I can't relax when there is too much to look at.

My love for my bedroom (the bed) is a mix of making it an escape and having a bed I feel is amazing- super comfy, with a down comforter. When I re-did my bedroom in the fall, friends came over laid on it and no one ever wants to get up from that bed, including me!

SLEEP NUMBER BED!!! I can't believe only one other person has recommended a Sleep Number Bed. We bought one in 2006 and it's still just like new. They offer a 20 year guarantee and I bet it'll last 20 years. You'll pay a bit more than a standard mattress, but it's so worth it since you won't have to buy a new bed for many many years. I guarantee that you'll never consider going back to a spring mattress again. We splurged on the mid-range, king size model and could not be more happy with our choice. Make sure you go with the dual sleeping chambers if you go with a queen size bed, because it makes all the difference to be able to adjust your own side.

it has to be all white, with lots of layers (fitted sheet, flat sheet, light cover and duvet), and i like to incorporate lots of textures, too (embroidered, woven, etc). I also insist on making it first thing in the morning, and i don't let anyone sit on it during the day (to keep it fresh!), so when i get to it at bedtime, it's just like i left it!

Yes! some people obsess over their bed, but I've never loved the beds I've had either. I do love slipping into freshly laundered sheets. Our mattress is on the floor. We used to sleep on a futon mattress on the floor in a loft, so a real mattress feels luxurious, even without a frame. The only thing I require is a down comforter. (I live in the mountains. It's cold even in June.)

for me the bedroom must be a peaceful place. all the art/photos we have up are of nature or something lovely to look first and last thing. mostly everything in the room is white or cream and then we have a bright blanket to add a little color. throw in a cat or 2 and a bunch of books and you are all set!! xx

I think a feather mattress cover makes all the difference. Also I grew up with a bottom sheet and a down comforter put in a fresh duvet cover. I can't seem to get comfy with a flat sheet. I always seem to get tangled. I know they are expensive but dwell studio sheets/duvets are so heavenly. I think their line at target is also great for the more budget conscious.

Our bed is special not because of the sheets or matress but because its a place where we can truely be intimate with each other - emtionally and physically. There is also no work allowed in the bed area which helps make it a special retreat.

I love my bed! I wish I could give it a makeover as well, though. Anyways, my rule is two pillows per person. That way my boyfriend has his own and I have my own and we're not hogging each other's. I also love Tommy Hilfiger for sheets. They're so soft and have such fun patterns.

My amazing boyfriend has a great saying "Never skimp on something that touches your skin." The secret to a great bed is a set of wonderful sheets, comfy down comforter, two pillows each and don't even think of allowing a television in the bedroom. Books galore are ok!

Our bed is like sleeping in the clouds close to heaven! The new Memory foam mattress with Egyptian cotton sheets and a down comforter- ALL in paisley white... with fluffy pillows and next to the one you love. That's the secret.

We discovered fleece sheets this winter. Not flannel, but fleece! They are out-of-this-world soft, snuggly, and cozy. My husband (who usually doesn't care about or even notice textiles) said they were the best household purchase I had ever made. :-)

Bamboo sheets! The more you wash them, the better they get. Everyone who comes to visit comments on my sheets. Also I use a body pillow laid sideways across the top of the bed as a base pillow, and one pillow on top. It keeps the pillow jenga problems to a minimum during the night.

The best thing I ever did is place a feather mattress under the sheets! Makes for extra cush and it makes it so much more womderful especially on those days you need to rest your weary bones. Real cotton vintage pillow cases that have hung outside for the frshest smell possible. Lavender spray when I need to sleep well and of course a beautifully quilted coverlet in your favorite color torelax your body and soul. Ahhhhhhhhhhh.....

It's simply this, I love my bed because it's where I snuggle with my family during movie night... it's where I can always find my cats... Pottery Barn makes the best comforters... and it's the only thing in the house that's neat and tidy 70% of the day (except when we're sleeping in it of course!)Oh yes, a vintage handmade quilt is a must!

It sounds simple, but I make my bed every morning, so that it's inviting to cuddle in to in the evening ;) I also found the most beautiful comforter that I splurged on from Anthropologie..you know how the presentation on a plate makes the food taste that much better? It's the same with a bed.

Oooh! This post activates my inner nerd. I just emerged from a period of intense research into natural mattress options and I'm dying to share my findings with you!

We decided on an all-natural latex and coconut fiber mattress from the Coco-mat store in abc home. I'm so in love! It's hypo-allergenic, super comfortable and easy on the environment. It has washable cotton covers, and you can unzip it and look at all its interesting layers. (AND they deliver by bike in Manhattan). abc has a great selection of natural mattresses that are worth checking out. They are pricier than your average mattress, but worth the investment when you consider the health benefits of a natural mattress x the number of hours you spend in bed.

We went with Coco-mat for its simplicity, price point and.. (full disclosure: the sales people are delightful and they serve you fresh orange juice and espresso and give you a little lavender sachet to put under your pillow… SOLD!)

The trick for us was to pair our mattress with a European Sleepworks slat foundation. It allows you to customize the flex on each side of the bed depending on your needs (my husband is a side and stomach sleeper, I'm a lightweight back and side sleeper) without making your bed crazy tall like with a box spring.

I'm super happy with our bed. Now if only I could get rid of all the busses, trucks and taxis that drive by our apartment at all hours..